Improvement in smoke-burning furnaces



s. A. FORD.

2 Sheet Sheefl.

Smoke-Burning Furnaces.

Patented September 23, I873.

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S. A FORD.

Smoke-Burning Furnaces. NO. 143,004. K Patented September23,1873.

, Aaiesc \nventor n famy L UNITED STATES SAMUEL A. FORD, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SMOKE-BURNING FURNACES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 143,004, datedSeptember 23, 1873; application filed August 18, 1873.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. FORD, of the city of Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Smoke-Burning Furnaces, of which the following is aspecification:

My invention is especially adapted for use in connection withsteam-boilers and heatingfurnaces; but I shall more particularlydescribe its application to steam-boilers, it being observed that in thecase of heating-furnaces the top wall of the furnace corresponds to thebottom of the boiler, as herein referred to.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap and effective method ofpromoting the combustion of volatile hydrocarbon and other gases, which,in passing'oft as smoke, occasions great loss of heat and consequentwaste of fuel. To accomplish this purpose I construct, in the followingmanner, chambers for heating and distributing air and intimatelymingling the same with the gases at the point where the highesttemperature, and hence greatest expansion, is usually obtained. Thespace immediately in the rear of the bridgewall in general use isbricked up as far as may be required or desirable, for the purpose ofconstructing within this brick-work, or when the space is limited inpart within it, and in part within the bridge-wall, an air-chamber ofsufficient capacity, the size of the same being in all cases governed bythe size of the boiler, and the quantity of coal to be consumed perhour. The top of this brick-work is either on a line with the top of thebridgewall, or, in some cases, dropped a little below it. At aconvenient distance in the rear of this air-chamber a similar butusually smaller air-chamber is constructed, parallel with the same, andconnected therewith by means of pipes, or, when the same is moreconvenient, by means of continuous brick-work, having flues constructedwithin it, the air in its passage through these pipes or flues beingheated to the desiredtemperature. Immediatelyunder and dependent fromthe bottom of the boiler, and over the bridge-wall and air-chamber firstmentioned, there is also constructed, by means of a hollow arch orhollow arches, another airchamber, connected with the one beneath it,

and first described, by means of passages or spaces at the ends of thearch or arches. This upper air-chamber is deflected, so as to make thespace between the top of the arch or arches and the bottom of the boilerat the rear end of the chamber larger than at the front. Theseair-chambers may be constructed of any material capable of resisting ahigh temperature. A small jet of steam is taken, by means of a suitablepipe, from the dome of the boiler, and may be introduced into either ofthe two lower air-chambers but the mode of using the same which I haveshown in the drawing forming a part of this specification I have foundthe most effective, for, by means of openings in the steam-pipe oppositeeach pipe or passage connecting the rear air-chamber with the one infront of it, the supply of air is readily controlled, and thereby alsoany defect in the draft is entirely obviated. In situations where thenatural draft is very strong, the steam jet may be dispensed with.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view, one sideof the furnace-wall being removed to show the grate, fire-box,bridge-wall, and air-chambe. s. Fig. 2 is a side elevation withfurnace-wall removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on line KK of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section on line LL of Fig. 3.

A represents an ordinary boiler; B, the firebox; 0, the bridge-wall; D,E, and H, the airchambers; Gr, the pipes or passages connecting the twolower air-chambers together, and for heating the air 5 I I I, smallorifices for minutely distributing the air; F F, a narrow openinglengthwise of the air-chambers E and D, for a similar purpose; and O O0, small openings through the upper wall of D and lower wall of E, forthe same purpose. J is the steam-pipe.

The operation of my invention is as follows The fire having'been builtin the fire-box Bin the ordinary manner, the air-chambers and theirconnections are soon sufficiently heated to employ them for the purposehad in view with effect. Air is then admitted in any desired quantitythrough the walls of the boiler setting into the air-chamber H, the airbeing, during its passage through this chamber and through the pipes G,or corresponding fines,

constructed in brick-work, and into the airchamber 1), heated to thesame temperature as the gases, and is mingled with the gases by passingout through the openings F F and the small orifices I I and O O O.

The openings F F and orifices O O O are constructed on an angle, asshown in the drawings, for the purpose of bringing the currents of airfrom the upper chamber E and the lower chamber D together at a commoncenter-line Within a reasonable space, thereby effecting a perfect ornearly perfect commingling of the air and the gases, and hence producinga more perfect combustion.

The number and size of the orifices I I I and O O, and the steanrpipe J,constructed, ar-

ranged, and operating in the ma-nnerand for the purpose set forth.

SAMUEL A. FORD.

Witnesses:

JOHN F. COLLINS, J. G. KING.

